Covid Journal, November 16, 2020

The Future of Humanity vs Greed

Here’s a suggestion: just to keep all of the anti-pharma types on the sideline (myself included, I suppose), let’s declare a global moratorium on lecherous greed.

Last week, the CEO of Pfizer dumped about 60% of his holdings of his own company the day after there was an announcement from Pfizer concerning their progress with a Covid-19 vaccine.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla sold shares worth more than triple his base salary on Monday, hours after proclaiming that excellent results from the pharmaceutical company’s COVID-19 vaccine in a late-stage trial made it a “great day for science and humanity.”

Bourla described the results in a press release as a “critical milestone” in the race to develop a vaccine, and a “significant step” towards ending the coronavirus pandemic. Pfizer’s stock price jumped as much as 15% on the news.

The Pfizer chief cashed out more than 60% of his stock the same day, raking in $5.6 million — about 30% of his total compensation in 2019. The sales were part of his “personal financial planning” and a predetermined 105b-1 plan that he authorized in August, meaning they were allowed under Securities and Exchange Commission rules, Pfizer told Reuters.

In total, Bourla received $18.2 million in compensation last year, according to Pfizer’s latest proxy statement. That included a base salary of $1.6 million, a $3.6 million annual bonus paid this year, and an estimated $13 million in long-term stock awards granted in February of this year and tied to Pfizer’s performance in the coming years.

Today, it was Moderna’s turn to sound triumphant about the possibility of a vaccine for wide distribution. That’s awesome, but don’t be surprised if you see their execs dumping stock tomorrow as well.

The best way to invoke a sense of decency when it comes to trusting pharmaceutical companies might be to politely request that they put a ‘no dump’ program in place. Especially when Canadians and other people around the world just paid for the spike in price with taxpayers dollars. Since we did so, does that mean we should be getting some bonus payout as well?

Or, as I’ve said before, since we can’t really trust humans to have humanity in their best interest, maybe we should nationalize ALL vaccine programs across the planet so that we can all confidently take a vaccine and then leave out homes without feeling like we just got shafted by crooks.

What is the CBC Doing?

I wish the CBC were a little less ‘hair on fire’ with their recent reporting.

Examples?

Showcase articles about the Trump-trash that are protesting the election saying things like ‘they’re not satisfied with the results’. This is bottom-of-the-barrel reporting. Of course, there will be some folks that are not impressed with election results. ANYWHERE. ANYTIME. That’s inevitable with a democracy. We do not live in an autocratic world where puppet leaders pretend 90% of the voting base got out and actually voted … for them.

That’s an easy one.

Similar articles focus on people claimimg the election was stolen. It’s hard to believe that it was perfect, but stolen? And not calling Trump on his falsehoods? Just stop already.

How about the recent slew of articles about Boomers and folks that are even older who will skirt the bans on international travel and still go south. Of course there will be a handful of people that will insist that they are more important than the rest of the people in Canada. Since when has there not been a select few that are selfish and inconsiderate when it comes to the greater good?

It happens. How about reporting on the MILLIONS of Snowbirds that ARE NOT heading south this winter out of a sense of duty and collaboration with their family, friends and neighbours? It’s certainly not as inflamatory when it comes to reporting, but that seems to be the end-game, doesn’t it?

Stop trying to provoke some kind of intergenerational push-shove match when it comes to how people are reacting to Covid.

I wish they would stop being so simple with their reporting. I KNOW they can and should do better.

Why Are Trump and His Supporters Against Anti-Fascists?

I still find myself scratching my head everytime some idiot (ie. Donald Trump) uses the catch-all ‘I’m against you’ term like ANTIFA.

As a reminder, ANTIFA is short for Anti-Fascist. You mean to say that if you’re against ANTIFA, you’re pro Fascist?

Corana is already villian number 1. Stop trying to create more nebulous and arbitrary things for humanity to fear.

And the WORLD needs you to leave the office. You LOST.